


Tomoko Magica

by animatedrose



Category: Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magika | Puella Magi Madoka Magica
Genre: Aliens, Blood and Injury, Bullying, Car Accidents, Cruelty, Deceit, Despair, Developing Friendships, Emotional Manipulation, F/F, F/M, Familiars, Fighting, Gen, Homelessness, Hope, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Lies, Magic, Magical Girls, Original Character(s), Soul Gems, Strangulation, Violence, Wishes, Witches, from my old fanfiction.net account, humanizing, old, what are emotions
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-11
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:01:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 17,206
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24655777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/animatedrose/pseuds/animatedrose
Summary: post-RebellionHyubey has been sent to Earth to harvest the missing Kyubey's share of energy. Tomoko is an average junior high school girl with no friends, a broken family, and a desperate wish. Hyubey grants this wish, making her his first Magical Girl. Hyubey has a job to do but something keeps getting in the way. What are...emotions?also called Hyubey: Questioning the Heart
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4





	1. Prologue

_I don’t know what I did wrong…but I had to have done something terrible to warrant this happening to me._

Children played happily on the playground. They were all around thirteen or fourteen years old, all middle school students. Though everyone seemed happy and was getting along fine, that did not take into account one lone girl.

She sat on a swing, the rest of the children keeping far from her. She swung there, head hung low, tears stinging her eyes. Her shoulder-length black hair and long bangs hid her face from view. Though she tried to ignore them, she could hear her classmates whispering.

_All I know is I came to school one day…and everyone left me. All of my friends, just…gone. They wouldn’t even tell me what had happened. They just…abandoned me there._

A bell rang and the children all filtered inside the school. The lonely girl slowly rose, trailing far behind the rest. She scrubbed the tears away from her eyes. She wouldn’t let them see her cry. Maybe this was all just a test to see how long she could stand being alone for.

During group work in class, nobody wanted her in their group. When the teacher placed her with a group, they ignored her and whispered together. Tired, the girl just rested her head on the desk and let them do whatever they pleased with their project. She just wanted this to end.

_But it didn’t end. It kept going…for days…weeks…months… The entire school year passed and my friends all pretended I no longer existed. When I finally got a reason from one of them, it wasn’t what I expected._

“Well…why wouldn’t we ditch you? After all, you’re just plain weird. Yeah, you’re good at gym but…you’re just a bookworm. That’s not cool.”

_Just not cool… They left because I wasn’t cool? What had I done wrong? They were okay being with me before that year. What had changed? Why did I have to be alone? What did I do?_

After that, the girl stopped trying to pursue her old connections. It was obvious those were beyond repair and weren’t even worth trying to rekindle. She withdrew from them and attempted to make new friends. Unfortunately, all the cliques and groups had formed earlier that first year and seemed resistant to taking in an outsider. She was on her own.

So she trudged through the year. If nobody wanted to be her friend then fine. She could get through this herself. She’d show them! She was a great friend!

But her heart was terribly fragile and broke down under the smallest of teenage tragedies. She found herself crying more than she should, regardless of her mother scolding her about such things.

“Tears never solve anything. You have to buck up and get through this mess. You can’t rely on anyone but yourself.”

Sadly, the girl was so emotionally damaged by the loss of her friends that such advice only served to destroy her even more. She buried herself in books and in her sports clubs before even withdrawing from them. There was nobody around to support her, leaving her to crumble under her own self-expectations.

Then it got even worse.

_Nobody was sure how it happened. Dad wasn’t even going that fast. The next thing I knew, the car was on its side. We had been in an accident. When the paramedics arrived, my mother and I were deemed okay. My father was badly hurt. My older brothers were dead._

After that day, the girl dropped out of her sports to assist in caring for her father, now bound to a wheelchair. Money was stretched thin, forcing her mother to work endlessly to support them. Yet she continued to insist her daughter attend school. The girl, not wishing to disappoint her family, did as she was told. She’d keep trudging through…even if she had to do it alone.

.o.o.o.o.

“We’ve lost contact with Kyubey.”

“We are low on our energy harvest. Kyubey brought in the largest share.”

“Someone must go replace him. Without it, entropy will destroy the universe.”

“But who should we send? Kyubey reported that planet was very odd yet full of plentiful energy.”

“Kyubey sent us all of his notes on how to handle the planet and harvest energy from it. Whoever we send can make use of those to continue where Kyubey left off.”

“Yes, that should work. But where could Kyubey have gone? One moment he was there, the next he was gone.”

“He has not reported back for a long time now. We can only assume Kyubey was destroyed. Should his replacement locate him…?”

“We will deal with such a situation when we encounter it. For now, let us select a replacement and send them. Regardless of Kyubey’s fate, our job is to stop entropy. We require all the energy we can harvest. Kyubey’s share cannot be ignored.”

“I volunteer. I will take Kyubey’s place on that planet.”

“Are you certain, Hyubey? Kyubey’s reports stressed that, while plentiful in energy, the planet’s inhabitants are very odd. Perhaps an older replacement would do best?”

“I am sure I can handle it. Kyubey was a dear companion and teacher to me. If there is a chance of relocating him or ensuring his contribution to the end of entropy does not go to waste, I wish to be the one to do so.”

“…Very well. You will be sent to replace Kyubey immediately. Prepare yourself, Hyubey. Should you fail to match up to Kyubey’s harvest, another will be sent to replace you. Is that understood?”

“Completely understood. I will not fail to ensure Kyubey’s harvest continues to contribute to our goal.”

“Good. You are dismissed.”

Many feline-like Incubators left the massive room. One in particular broke from the group and headed toward a section of the building that would send him to the planet that Kyubey had been harvesting energy from. He headed into the room and stepped onto a large circular pad on the ground.

“Send me to Earth,” he ordered, mouth unmoving yet the words were spoken.

The pad lit up and he dissolved into light, zipped across the universe to his destination. When the light faded, he found himself perched atop a strange structure nestled among many other similar structures. Tiny beings—the humans that Kyubey had described—scurried far below him.

The Incubator was the size of an average house cat with a large poofy tail whose tip was slightly split and two sets of ears. The first set was atop his head and resembled normal cat ears. The second set grew just beneath those ears, stretching down to the ground and ending in three pointed sections, each long ear having a silver ring around its middle and three red dots on each pointed section. The Incubator was black with a white underbelly and lower face, a thick puff of fur erupting from his chest and tufts sticking out from his cheeks. His paws, the ends of his second set of ears, and the tip of his tail were also white. There was a red oval-shaped ring mark on his back. His eyes were red and appeared soulless.

“So this is Earth. This is where Kyubey was assigned for the past several thousand years,” the Incubator, Hyubey, said.

Bounding from atop the building, the feline creature would proceed to spend the next several days scouring every inch of the planet’s surface for any sign of the Incubator he had been sent to replace. No matter how hard he searched, he could not locate Kyubey. Hyubey would swear he could detect snippets of the other’s scent or energy signature, but they would vanish before he could reach them. After nearly two weeks of fruitless hunting, the other surrendered in his task. He would continue again later, if possible. For now, he had a more important job—harvesting energy to stop entropy.

“Kyubey said the most energy can be harvested from teenage human girls. If I stick close to the junior high schools that he mentioned, I should eventually come across one with a high possible energy output,” Hyubey determined. “But first…I better see if there are any Witches to pit them against. If not, then I’ll just have to make some before hunting for any legitimate contract candidates.”

Another week of scouring turned up nothing. No Witches, no Magical Girls, and no Kyubey. Strange. It was like the whole planet had been wiped clean. He could certainly smell Witches and Magical Girls, but the scents were faded with time. Had someone destroyed them all?

“Perhaps when Kyubey vanished, everything else did too,” Hyubey theorized. “Oh well. It’s a setback, but I guess I’ll just start anew here. That shouldn’t be too hard. Humans apparently appeal well to having their wishes granted. Now to find people who will make selfish wishes…so they can become Witches.”


	2. Tomoko Magica

“Tomoko, you’re going to be late!”

“I’m going, mom! Bye!”

The raven-haired girl, Tomoko, bounded out of the house, a slice of toast in her mouth as she ran down the steps of her home. Reaching the street, she raced down the sidewalk, stuffing the last of the toast in her mouth and trying not to choke. The streets soon swarmed with fellow middle school students. She slowed her pace abruptly as the school came into view up ahead, sighing.

A few classmates she knew by name darted by, giggling and laughing. She was tempted to call out to them, say hi or something…but she didn’t. She kept walking, head down and steps measured as she headed to school. All she had to do was get through the day and then she was free to go back home and get away from all of these people.

The day went by quickly until break period came. She tried to ignore a particularly loud conversation, nose buried in a book, when something slammed down loudly on her desk. She jolted, looking up instantly to see a familiar face.

“Yo, Tomoko. Whatcha reading?”

Sachiyo Chiba was one of the few people in her class that had not been one of her former classmates. The redhead had transferred from another city a few months ago and seemed to have it out for Tomoko. Though Sachiyo had few friends, it was a personal choice rather than a choice of the people around her. She wasn’t exactly social.

Tomoko hunkered down in her seat, pulling her book close to her chest. “Th-the book assigned to us in Writing class,” she replied.

“Oh? That trashy romance novel? Blegh!” Sachiyo stuck out her tongue in disgust. “Guess you’d be the type to read that, huh?”

“It’s an assignment,” Tomoko reminded, trying not to shake in fear. “Aren’t you reading it?”

“I trashed mine on day one,” Sachiyo replied, smirking. “Why don’t you do the same to yours?”

Tomoko gave a cry and dove from her desk as Sachiyo lunged, attempting to rip the book from the other girl’s hands. Catching her footing, Tomoko ran from the room despite the teacher’s shouting. Sachiyo flew to a stop outside of the classroom before stalking back inside, the teacher shouting at her.

Tomoko kept running, dashing downstairs until she reached the courtyard, where she ran until she hit the playground. Catching her breath, she plopped down in a swing and stayed there. Tears stung her eyes as she clutched her book tightly to her chest.

“Why? Why does everyone have to come after me? What did I do wrong?” she choked.

She stayed there at the swing for nearly an hour before finally regaining her composure. Calm, she returned to the school building…unaware of a dark feline perched in a nearby tree, watching her with soulless red eyes.

“I think she’ll do,” he decided.

.o.o.o.o.

The classroom was dead silent when Tomoko returned. The teacher gestured for her to return to her seat. Tomoko sat down as instructed and reached down to fetch her textbook…but her fingers found nothing to grab. Looking down, her heart froze.

Her schoolbag was gone. In its place was a crumpled ball of paper. Discreetly picking it up and smoothing it out, she scanned the bad handwriting.

**Come get your stuff behind the building after school.**

_Sachiyo,_ she realized. _Oh no…_

She spent the last two hours of class struggling to understand the material. She gave an excuse for the absence of her textbook and no more questions were asked. She almost wished more had been asked. Too bad nobody cared. Anyone who saw the theft wasn’t stepping forward to help her. Not that she was counting on them to…but she wished they would. She wanted them to.

When the bell rang, Tomoko ran around the building until she found her schoolbag. It was torn apart, probably by a pocket knife, and all of its contents were spilled on the ground. Thankfully, it seemed Sachiyo was merciful enough not to completely destroy her textbooks but she did drench them in some kind of fruit juice. Gathering her filthy belongings and torn schoolbag, Tomoko sat there for a bit before the tears came flooding forth.

“Why? Why is this happening? What did I do to deserve this?!” she shouted.

“It looks like you’ve been having a hard time. Maybe I could help?”

“Huh?” Tomoko looked up but couldn’t see anyone. “Who’s there? S… Sachiyo?”

“Sorry, I’m not a Sachiyo, whoever that is.”

“C-come out…please?” Tomoko squeaked.

“Okay, since you asked nicely.”

A black and white cat landed atop the nearby dumpster, bounding to the ground and padding over to her. On second glance, Tomoko realized it couldn’t possibly be a cat. It had weird growths under its ears that almost resembled hands…or maybe another set of ears? The feline paused before Tomoko and sat down, licking a paw before dragging it over its face.

“Wh… What are you? Are you a cat?” Tomoko asked.

“No,” the feline replied. “I’m a Messenger of Magic. My name is Hyubey. And you are…?”

“Gah! You can talk!” Tomoko yelped, reeling in shock.

“Of course I can talk. I’m not a creature from your planet. I’m here to help, though,” Hyubey replied.

“You’re an…alien?” Tomoko asked, confused.

“In your view, yes, that’s exactly what I am,” Hyubey confirmed. “I’m here to see if you will make a contract with me.”

“Contract?”

“Yes, a Magical Girl contract,” Hyubey nodded. “As a Messenger of Magic, my job is to make contracts with girls like you and turn them into Magical Girls.”

“Magical…Girls? Like in anime?” Tomoko questioned.

“A little like that,” Hyubey conceded. “In exchange for the contract you form with me, I can grant you one wish. It can be anything you want. I can grant any wish at all.”

“A wish?” Tomoko frowned. “…Why would you want to make one of those contracts with me? I’m nothing special…”

“Because I need your help. This city is full of evil creatures called Witches. I need a Magical Girl’s help to eliminate them,” Hyubey explained.

“Witches? Eliminate?” Tomoko repeated, growing fearful. “You want me to kill something? No way!”

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to…but I don’t have a lot of options. The Witches will keep getting stronger with the more people they kill,” Hyubey elaborated. “Soon enough, they’ll be too strong for just one person to eliminate. I’ll have to form more contracts soon…but for now, one should be enough.”

“I’m not the one you should be looking for,” Tomoko argued weakly, hugging her ruined bag to her chest. “You should be looking for someone brave and strong… I’m not any of that!”

She didn’t notice the world warping and twisting around her. Hyubey stood up, looking around.

“Oh no… Quickly, we have to run!” Hyubey cried.

“Huh?”

Tomoko looked up, giving a cry when she saw the world becoming some sort of pastel wonderland around her. Shoving herself to her feet, she turned and ran. There was no sign of the school or the street or even the dumpsters anymore. It was nothing but a twisted world of rainbow waterfalls and shattered candy hearts, the pieces making up the ground they ran on.

“What’s going on?” Tomoko wailed, terrified.

“We’re in a Witch’s barrier. She must’ve detected your despair and came after you,” Hyubey replied, running alongside her.

“How do we get out?”

“You can only get out if the Witch is destroyed. Magical Girls can destroy Witches. You need to make a contract with me!” Hyubey declared.

“Isn’t there anyone else?” Tomoko demanded, tears slipping down her cheeks.

“No! I haven’t made any contracts yet! There are no Magical Girls here!” Hyubey admitted. “Hurry! Make a wish! Any wish! I’ll grant it! Then you can kill the Witch and we can get out of here!”

“Can’t you kill it?” Tomoko pleaded.

“I’ve never fought a Witch before! I’m not even sure it’s possible!” Hyubey replied. “Only you can kill her now! So hurry! Make a contract with me!”

“I can’t! I can’t!” Tomoko sobbed.

A huge hand slammed on the ground behind them, sending both flying. Tomoko groaned, a broken sob escaping her. Everything hurt. She just wanted to curl up and die. Hyubey staggered to his paws and darted over to her.

“Hold on!” he ordered.

They disappeared in a flash of light just as the massive hand crashed down on them again.

.o.o.o.o.

They reappeared far away from the massive hand. Tomoko coughed, clutching her aching chest. Hyubey stepped away, shaking himself.

“There! I’ve gotten us as far away from her as I can, but even I can’t get us out of a Witch’s barrier by myself,” the feline admitted. “Are you okay?”

“It hurts… It hurts!” Tomoko sobbed.

“It won’t hurt anymore if you make a contract with me,” Hyubey promised. “So please, make a wish. It can be anything. Just hurry! Before Lisette comes back!”

“Lis…ette?” Tomoko repeated.

“That’s the name of this Witch,” Hyubey explained. “Thankfully, she’s just a newborn Witch. She’s not very strong…but she’s definitely stronger than a human is. We don’t stand a chance in here if you don’t make a contract with me. I’m sorry…but you don’t have a choice now!”

“But I don’t…have a wish,” Tomoko choked, curling up even more.

“Don’t you have anything you really want?” Hyubey asked. “Anything at all?”

Tomoko froze, images of her past friends flooding her thoughts. She sobbed, tears spilling anew. Slowly uncurling and forcing herself to sit upright, she looked at Hyubey.

“…What do I…have to do?” she shakily asked.

“First, make your wish. Once that is done, I’ll perform the contract. When you become a Magical Girl, you’ll have to kill the Witch,” Hyubey replied. “The Witch’s barrier will fade once Lisette is dead.”

Tomoko clutched her chest with one hand and scrubbed her tears with the other. Once she had collected herself, she sat up a bit straighter and looked at Hyubey.

“I wish I had a friend. A friend that won’t leave me. A friend that will stay with me forever,” Tomoko declared. “…That is my wish!”

Hyubey nodded, longer ears rising. “Wish granted!”

Those ears dove forward, stabbing deep into Tomoko’s chest…only there was no pain. The ears withdrew, bringing something glowing out with them. The ears parted, revealing a tiny glowing egg of silver light. The light dimmed slightly to reveal it as a gem.

“Go on. Take it! It’s your Soul Gem, the item that will power you as a Magical Girl!” Hyubey encouraged.

Tomoko lifted her hands up, curling them around the gem. The light died, revealing the gem encased in a golden metal egg-shaped case. It felt so warm and…familiar. Tomoko smiled softly, holding it close to her chest.

A loud crash made Hyubey jump. The feline whipped around, looking in the distance. Smoke rose up from the pastel ground before growing thicker, the massive frame within moving swiftly toward them, dragging herself with huge hands.

“Quickly! Use it to turn into a Magical Girl! Lisette is coming!” he warned.

Tomoko looked up, her fear melting away. Her body was engulfed in silver light that shattered moments later. The girl got to her feet, the bottom half of a dark blue—nearly black—trench coat snapping behind her in the wind. She wore a light gray tank top, black elbow-length arm warmers with a loop wrapped around her middle finger, black knee-length shorts, light gray socks, and black and white sneakers. Her hair was pulled back in a high ponytail, kept in place by a hair band with a silver heart-shaped charm on it.

Lisette was nearly on them, the smoke parting to show a face that seemed like it was two separate faces cut down the middle and pasted together badly. The left half was crazed, the skin red and eye wild with hate as it rolled around in the socket. The right half was pale white and tears kept rushing from her bloodshot eye, heartbroken cries erupted from her mouth.

She dragged herself closer on huge hands that ended in wicked claws. A deep blue dress covered her upper body, ending in a ragged tear. It was like someone had roughly cut the creature’s lower half away. Out of the gaping wound poured splashes of rainbow and the shattered candy hearts that coated the floor of the pastel world around her.

“Hurry! Attack her!” Hyubey cried, remaining behind Tomoko.

Lifting her right arm, a burst of light exploded from the raven-haired girl’s hand. A large golden mace with an asteroid-like head appeared in Tomoko’s hand. It seemed like it would be heavy but…it felt as light as a feather. How strange.

Tomoko didn’t question it. Crouching, her leg muscles bunched before she jumped. She felt like she was flying, she soared so high above the world. The Witch screamed and shot upright after her, blasts of rainbow paint and broken candy heart shards erupted from her missing lower body, propelling her after Tomoko. Clawed hands reached out, giving the girl no escape, forcing her to keep going up.

A sudden speed boost tore Tomoko loose of the threat of those hands. The Witch gave a scream, half in sorrow, half in rage. Tomoko arced backward above her, flipping around to see the beast charging beneath her.

“KILL YOU KILL YOU KILL YOU KILL YOU KILL YOU” poured from the Witch’s mouth.

“Is that all you can say?” Tomoko asked, eyes narrowed.

She turned, hovering above the Witch, mace raised overhead. The asteroid suddenly got even bigger, growing in size until it easily dwarfed both Tomoko and the Witch. Gripping it tightly, she brought it down hard on the Witch and sent her crashing back to the ground far below. Lisette disappeared in an explosion of rainbow smoke and flying shards of multicolored broken candy hearts.

Tomoko landed lightly beside Hyubey, the mace’s end returning to normal. The Witch was still snarling but her frame was twisted and bent, no longer able to move. Tomoko approached her, mace raised to deliver the final blow.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it. Please don’t leave me. Whatever I did, I’m sorry. I love you. Please don’t go.”

Tomoko froze. It took her a moment to figure out where the whispering was coming from. While the angry half continued its raging, the sad half was whispering frantically under its breath.

“Please don’t go. I love you. I’ll do anything. Anything. Just don’t go. I don’t want to be alone. Please don’t leave. I love you. I love you!”

“Tomoko!”

Hyubey’s voice snapped her out of her paralysis.

“Tomoko, you have to kill her. As long as she still lives, she can keep killing and we’ll stay trapped within this barrier,” Hyubey reminded her, tail flicking behind him.

“Why is she saying that?” Tomoko asked, mace lowering.

“Witches are nothing more than curses meant to lure humans to their deaths. She’s trying to convince you not to kill her,” Hyubey explained, padding over until he was by Tomoko’s feet. “It’s a tactic any and all Witches will employ if they believe they’re about to die. Though it seems like it, whatever she says never holds any truth. She’s like a parrot, mimicking what she hears and repeating what she believes will save her. I know it’s hard…but you have to kill her regardless.”

“…So she’s babbling? Just lies?” Tomoko asked.

“Not exactly lies…but certainly not truth. She’s trying to appeal to your sympathy so she can escape,” Hyubey replied.

“…Got it,” Tomoko nodded.

She raised the mace high over her head, the asteroid at the end growing to massive size again. Lisette’s fingers twitched as she struggled to regain mobility, angry eye rolling in its socket as her screeches grew louder. Tomoko ignored the ache in her chest, crushing the urge to show the beast mercy.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “Goodbye.”

The mace head crashed down on Lisette. The Witch gave a broken scream before she died, dissolving into black mist. The world around Tomoko broke like a mirror before shattering, fading into nothing. The alley behind her school returned to normal, dumpster and torn backpack and all. All that remained as proof of the Witch was a glowing black egg-like object with two thin needles, one on its top and one on its bottom.

Tomoko looked at herself, realizing she was back in her school uniform. No trench coat bottom, no arm warmers, and no magical size-shifting mace. Just Tomoko, back to normal again.

Hyubey bounded over to the black egg. “Tomoko, take this. It’s a Grief Seed. Any Witch you kill will drop one.”

The raven-haired girl approached, kneeling down to pick up the strange object. It was the same size as her Soul Gem. It felt cold and even a bit heavy, but not by much. A shiver shot through her as she picked it up.

“What are they for?” Tomoko asked.

“Look at your Soul Gem,” Hyubey prompted.

Tomoko looked at her other hand, where her Soul Gem had appeared. She blinked in surprise. The flawless silver surface had grown…darker.

“As you use your magic, the Soul Gem will begin to darken. Grief Seeds absorb that darkness, allowing you to keep using your magic,” Hyubey explained. “It’s a good idea to keep a supply of Grief Seeds on you in case you overuse your magic.”

“What happens if I don’t have any Grief Seeds?” Tomoko nervously asked.

“You’ll stop being a Magical Girl,” Hyubey replied. “The Soul Gem will shatter and that’s it. You’ll be just plain old Tomoko again. Since you’re the only Magical Girl here right now, I don’t advise letting your Soul Gem get too dark. You should be fine for now. Save it for later when you have a few more Grief Seeds on hand. You didn’t use enough magic for it to be too bad right now.”

“…Okay. If you say so.” Tomoko stowed the Grief Seed away in her pocket, retrieving her bag and other belongings from the ground. “Um… Will I see you again?”

“Of course. You can contact me anytime using telepathy. It’s how I’ve been speaking to you this whole time, after all,” Hyubey pointed out.

Tomoko’s cheeks colored when she realized the cat had indeed not been using his mouth to speak. “Um… Then see you later?”

“Of course,” Hyubey nodded. “I have a few other things to do, so I’ll make sure you get home safely and then head off on my own. I’ll meet you tomorrow before school, okay?”

“…Okay,” Tomoko agreed.

Tomoko headed off, Hyubey perched on her shoulder. They headed through the main streets toward the girl’s house. When she reached the right house, she headed up the stairs until she reached the door. Hyubey bounded off of her shoulder to land on the railing.

“See you tomorrow, Tomoko. Sleep tight,” Hyubey said. “Oh! And don’t lose your Soul Gem. You wouldn’t want to be caught by a Witch without it. Keep it close to you always, no matter what. Okay?”

“Okay, I will. I promise,” Tomoko vowed, keeping the gem close to her chest. “S… See you tomorrow, Hyubey.”

The feline bounded off the railing and disappeared down the street. Tomoko sighed before heading inside, apologizing to her mother for the lateness. Another excuse came into play, along with an excuse for her torn bag and drenched books. Once she escaped to her room, she dumped her things on the floor and collapsed onto her bed.

“Magical Girl… Witch… Soul Gem… Contract…” Tomoko froze. “Wish!”

She sat up, looking out the window. No sign of Hyubey. She groaned, falling back onto her bed, a hand over her face.

“How could I be so stupid? Of course my wish won’t come true,” Tomoko muttered. “After all…who wants to be friends with someone as weird as me?”

.o.o.o.o.

Hyubey watched a gaggle of middle school girls pass beneath the streetlight he was perched on. He sighed, shaking his head. Not enough despair for him to gather any real energy from. Leaping to the ground, he ran along in search of any strong sources of despair.

Not finding any, he paused to wash himself on a bench. His thoughts strayed to his first ever contract…and the odd wish she had made.

_“I wish I had a friend. A friend that won’t leave me. A friend that will stay with me forever. That is my wish!”_

“All she wants is a friend, huh? That’s easy. But still…the amount of despair in her heart… Maybe I’d better be extra careful here,” Hyubey decided. “Maybe I could… Yeah…”

Hyubey’s tiny frame began to stretch and warp under the streetlight. Ears and tail fell away, making room for hairless skin and long limbs. Bigger, stronger, more emotional…!

When it was over, it was no longer an Incubator seated on the bench. It was a young boy with short black hair with white tips that curled slightly. He wore a black scarf with three red dots along each white-tipped edge, a black zip-up jacket, a white T-shirt, black jeans, and black and white shoes. His eyes were the oddest feature though. Despite resembling human eyes in shape, the iris was red while the pupil was an even deeper shade of crimson.

The boy stood up, forced to keep his upper body moving in conjunction with his legs in order to hold onto his balance. After a few minutes, his walking evened out and he was acting completely human in posture and movement.

“This will take some getting used to,” the boy muttered, rubbing his throat. “As will the talking. I can’t communicate with telepathy for everything like this. Hopefully, this is what she’s looking for and if not, I’ll just keep trying until I get it right.”

A noise caught his attention. Leaving the bench, the boy kept moving until he reached a pond. At the shoreline stood a girl with long red hair. She was throwing rocks into the pond. Though her posture suggested anger…what radiated from her heart was…

It took all of Hyubey’s willpower not to race over and make a contract then and there. The raw amount of despair coming off of her easily trumped Tomoko’s own! Where had this girl been when Lisette had been rampaging at the school?

A smile crossed the boy’s face. _This isn’t so hard after all._


	3. The Second Candidate

Tomoko sat up from her bed, hair a mess, blinking tiredly as she yawned. Going through her usual morning routine, she eventually headed downstairs for breakfast. Downing some toast, she was picking up her repaired schoolbag when she heard her mother call.

“Tomoko! Your friend is here!”

“…What?”

Tomoko snatched her bag and dashed to the front door, where her mother stood. In the doorway was someone Tomoko had never seen before.

It was a boy just a few inches taller than her with slightly curled black hair with white tips and the oddest eyes she had ever seen—red irises and crimson pupils. He wore mostly black clothes and a scarf around his neck. He looked around her age.

“Hey, Tomoko. Ready for school?” he asked.

“…Yeah,” Tomoko nodded dumbly, cheeks on fire.

“Then let’s go,” the boy said.

Grasping her hand, the boy led Tomoko down the stairs and onto the street. Her mother called out a quick goodbye before vanishing back into the house. They headed down the street together, hand in hand. It took a while before Tomoko forced herself to finally ask the question on her mind.

“Who are you?”

The boy stopped walking. “I’m your wish. Do you not like it, Tomoko?” he asked, looking over his shoulder at her.

“My…wish?” Tomoko blinked, confused.

_“I wish I had a friend. A friend that won’t leave me. A friend that will stay with me forever. That is my wish!”_

Tomoko jolted at the memory. “…Do I know you?” she asked after a moment.

“Yes, you do.” The boy smiled. “After all, you made a contract with me yesterday, Tomoko.”

“…Hyubey?” Tomoko whispered, shocked.

The boy’s smile grew. “Well? You wanted a friend. Do I look suitable for you?”

“You? You’re going to be my friend?” Tomoko asked, surprised.

“Am I not good enough? Were you looking for something different?” Hyubey asked, baffled.

“No! No, you… You look fine,” Tomoko reassured, blushing. “I just…wasn’t expecting you to…you know…”

“Grant your wish?” Hyubey guessed.

“Yeah,” she nodded, embarrassed.

“I make a point not to lie. It’s not very productive to do that,” Hyubey said.

“So…what happened to your cat form?” Tomoko asked.

“I still have it. I’ll be using it again before we reach your school. That way, I can stay with you and remain inconspicuous,” Hyubey replied.

“Won’t someone see you?” Tomoko commented, worried.

“Nobody can see me except for Magical Girls and potential contracts of mine. I’m invisible to everyone else,” Hyubey explained.

“Even like this?” she wondered.

“No, this form is visible to everyone since it is human. My real form is usually invisible,” Hyubey clarified.

“Oh,” Tomoko nodded in understanding. “I get it now.”

They walked in relative silence until the block before the middle school. Hyubey pulled them into a side alley and began to glow, shifting from a human to his feline form. He bounded up onto Tomoko’s shoulder and they resumed their walk to school. Just as he promised, nobody seemed to notice Hyubey. They ignored Tomoko as usual.

All except for one, that is.

“Ready for class, Tomoko? I hope your books weren’t too messed up. Heheheh!”

A hand clapped the back of Tomoko’s shoulder, forcing Hyubey to jump off to avoid being thrown. When the feline landed, he turned to see Tomoko’s assaulter. His eyes would’ve widened if that was even possible.

It was the girl from the pond! The one full of so much despair!

“Uh, my books were okay, I guess,” Tomoko squeaked, head down to avoid looking the redhead in the eye.

“Really?” Sachiyo clicked her tongue, walking alongside Tomoko with her bag slung behind her shoulder. “Too bad. I guess I’ll have to try harder next time, eh?”

Tomoko didn’t respond. Sachiyo snorted and quickened her pace, obviously bored of the other girl.

“See you in homeroom!” she snickered meanly, waving goodbye as she vanished amidst the crowd of fellow students.

Tomoko sighed in relief when Sachiyo vanished. Hyubey bounded back up to his perch on her shoulder. Try as he might, he couldn’t locate the redhead among the other humans currently. Disappointed, he turned his attention back to Tomoko.

“Who was that girl?”

“Sachiyo Chiba, one of my classmates,” Tomoko replied softly.

“You didn’t seem happy to see her,” Hyubey noted. “Sachiyo… That was the name you mentioned yesterday when we first met.”

“She was the reason I was back there,” Tomoko explained. “She took my bag, tore it, and ruined my things.”

“You two aren’t friends?” Hyubey questioned.

“I have no friends. That’s why I made that wish,” Tomoko admitted, cheeks burning in embarrassment.

“Oh…”

Hyubey and Tomoko didn’t speak again. The bell rang just as Tomoko got to her desk in homeroom. As promised, nobody noticed Hyubey snoozing peacefully on Tomoko’s schoolbag. The day went by faster than the previous without much incident save a few verbal jabs by Sachiyo during break and lunch.

When school ended, Tomoko picked up her bag and headed for the door…and realized Hyubey was no longer with her. She looked around in a panic, about to ask for help when she recalled nobody else could see him. Unsure of what else to do and not seeing him in the classroom, she reluctantly departed with her classmates into the surrounding halls.

“What was that he said before? That we could speak using telepathy?” she muttered to herself. “I guess I could try that. See if he answers.”

_Tomoko, sorry for my disappearance. Could you come to the park?_

She jumped at Hyubey’s voice, looking around in a frenzy. Noticing the stares directed as her, she quickly stuffed her bag into her arms and ran down the stairs to the ground floor. She wanted to cry out in embarrassment, cheeks aflame and tears stinging her eyes.

_Tomoko? Why aren’t you answering? Tomoko?_

_Sorry, Hyubey. I thought you were nearby,_ Tomoko admitted, slowing her pace down when she reached the ground floor. _Where are you? Why did you leave like that? I got worried!_

_My apologies, Tomoko. I think I might’ve found another candidate for a Magical Girl contract,_ Hyubey explained. _Can you come to the park to meet with me and her? It’s urgent._

Tomoko’s heart skipped a beat. Fear gripped her heart. _Does this mean my contract is done?_

 _What? No! Tomoko, why would I cancel our contract just because I found another Magical Girl candidate?_ Hyubey asked, horribly confused. _No, I need you here to help me convince them to make a contract with me. They won’t accept my words without proof._

 _And I’m your proof,_ Tomoko realized, stepping out of the front doors of the school.

_Exactly,_ Hyubey confirmed. _How quickly can you get here?_

_I just got out of the school building. Maybe ten or fifteen minutes?_ Tomoko offered.

_Perfect! I’ll be waiting!_ Hyubey declared.

Tomoko sighed, ignoring the burning in her ears. How stupid of her. Hadn’t he mentioned that he could make multiple contracts back when they first met? She was just his first contract. Of course he’d want to make more contracts—and thus more Magical Girls—to fight off all the Witches in the city.

_It was dumb to think I’d be his only contract for very long,_ she thought to herself, recalling her wish.

Kicking up the pace, she ran down the street toward the park. Curiosity hit her full on.

_I wonder who it could be, this second Magical Girl candidate…_ she wondered.

.o.o.o.o.

Hyubey guided her to his location using telepathy, listing off all the important landmarks he could recall. Tomoko soon found herself at one of the ponds dotting the park. Hyubey sat on a bench, tail waving when he saw her.

“Tomoko! Over here!”

“Where is she? This new candidate?” Tomoko asked, sitting down on the bench beside him.

“Down there, by the water. She needed to let off steam, so she’s throwing rocks into the water,” Hyubey explained. “At least, that’s how she worded it. I had no idea humans had steam in them that needed releasing.”

“I think she meant that she was angry and needed to let it out,” Tomoko corrected.

“Oh! Now it makes more sense,” Hyubey realized. “Humans word things so oddly sometimes.”

“I guess we do, in your perspective,” Tomoko giggled.

She looked toward the pond, seeing another girl furiously throwing rocks into the water. After a moment, Tomoko froze. She knew this girl! The long red hair, the worn school uniform, the black schoolbag covered in pins bearing threatening logos and messages.

It was Sachiyo Chiba.

“You want her to be a Magical Girl?!” she hissed, staring at Hyubey in shock.

“Think of it this way, Tomoko,” Hyubey prompted, not at all perturbed by his companion’s behavior. “I had to form a contract with you because there was no other choice. You did wonderfully but you still need work. I decided to find someone who was strong and knew how to fight.”

“You say that like you’d rather have not made a contract with me at all,” Tomoko complained.

“That’s not it,” Hyubey argued. “Tomoko, you have a lot of potential. You just don’t know how to unlock and use it yet. Lisette was a newborn Witch and was easy to kill. The other Witches won’t be as easy to destroy as Lisette was. I needed to find another candidate that could properly handle those stronger Witches until you reached a point where you could do it yourself.”

“So you _are_ replacing me,” Tomoko muttered sadly.

“Tomoko, I’m not replacing anyone!” The feline hopped into her lap, forepaws on her chest. “Listen, I’m doing this to help you. You can’t fight all of the Witches by yourself. Just because Sachiyo knows how to fight doesn’t mean she’ll be a good Magical Girl. That’s where you come in! You’ve been a Magical Girl for longer, even if it’s just been by one day! You have experience that she doesn’t! You’ve fought a Witch already and gained a Grief Seed! Sachiyo has none of that currently because she hasn’t even accepted my contract yet! Understand?”

“Tomoko? What are you doing here?”

Tomoko jumped, head snapping up quickly. Sachiyo stood there, having recovered from her rock-throwing rage, a smirk on her lips as she eyed the raven-haired girl curiously.

“Sachiyo, this is Tomoko,” Hyubey introduced. “She is the Magical Girl I spoke of.”

“Her? You’ve got to be joking,” Sachiyo snickered. “She can’t kill anything.”

“She defeated a Witch at the school yesterday,” Hyubey stated, sitting in Tomoko’s lap with her tail coiled around his paws. “You’re right, she doesn’t look like much…but that’s because she’s just a smidge above where you’ll be if you accept my contract. Tomoko only became a Magical Girl yesterday.”

“And you want me to help her kill those Witch things you mentioned?” Sachiyo asked, arms crossed over her chest. “I’m not exactly a team player.”

“You don’t need to be. This isn’t about helping Tomoko,” Hyubey countered. “This is about helping your species. If left unchecked, Witches will spread their curses to other humans and eventually destroy your race, even your planet.”

“And she’s the only person who can stop them currently?” Sachiyo asked, looking at Tomoko.

“That’s correct,” Hyubey nodded. “Of course, she’s a rookie and has only killed one newborn Witch. She has no fighting experience prior to that. That’s why I sought you out. You have both a lot of potential and you can already fight. You’d make a perfect Magical Girl.”

“All I have to do is make a wish and a contract with you, and then I’ll be off to kill Witches and save humanity? I smell a catch in all that,” Sachiyo growled, eyes narrowed at the black and white feline.

“The only catch I can come up with is that you may die,” Hyubey admitted. “Fighting Witches isn’t easy. They can kill you just as easily as anything else dangerous on your planet can. Being a Magical Girl does not equate to immortality or invulnerability…unless you wish for that, of course. But even that might not be enough to save you. I’ve never tested such a wish against a Witch’s curse before…”

“Once I’m a Magical Girl, I can’t take it back?” Sachiyo asked. “I’m stuck killing Witches until I die?”

“In essence, yes,” Hyubey nodded.

“Unless your Soul Gem gets too dark and breaks! You’ll stop being a Magical Girl then,” Tomoko pointed out.

“Soul Gem?” Sachiyo repeated, intrigued.

Tomoko pulled out the silver egg-shaped gem from her skirt pocket. “This is how I can become a Magical Girl. It stores all of my magic. If it gets too dark and isn’t purified by Grief Seeds, it’ll shatter and you’ll be a normal person again.”

“I wouldn’t advise that method, though,” Hyubey cut in. “That’s how it should work in theory. I’ve never performed that myself, so it might not even work. You’re supposed to keep your Soul Gem as safe and clean as you can.”

“I know, but I was just adding that in for Sachiyo,” Tomoko pointed out softly, holding the gem close to her chest.

“…What was your wish, Tomoko?” Sachiyo asked.

“Huh? My wish? Why would you want to know that?” Tomoko yelped, cheeks burning.

“So I can see why you did this,” Sachiyo replied nonchalantly. “Is it too embarrassing to say out loud?”

“…I asked for a friend,” Tomoko muttered.

“I’m guessing it didn’t work since you’re still alone,” Sachiyo snorted. “I knew this wish thing was bogus!”

“Her wish was granted in full,” Hyubey stated. “Watch.”

The Incubator jumped off of Tomoko’s lap, landing on the ground lightly. He began to glow, his body warping and twisting until it resembled a human shape. Then the light died, revealing Hyubey’s human form. Sachiyo’s mouth dropped open in shock. Hyubey smiled slightly.

“I myself am her wish…or, at least, this form is,” Hyubey declared, giving a slight bow to Sachiyo. “Tomoko has stated her satisfaction, thus her wish has been granted in full.”

He sat down beside Tomoko, whose cheeks were bright pink. Sachiyo smirked, giggling.

“So you’re her boyfriend?”

“Boyfriend?!” Tomoko yelped, instantly embarrassed and surprised.

“Boyfriend?” Hyubey tilted his head in confusion. “Is that a new term? Because I am anatomically male—or ‘boy’, as you call it—in this body and I am Tomoko’s friend.”

“Wow! You really _are_ an alien,” Sachiyo snickered.

“Yes, we discussed this already,” Hyubey confirmed.

Sachiyo shook her head in amusement. Then she took a deep breath, straightening out and putting on a serious look. “So, you can grant wishes? Any wish at all?”

“Any wish at all, as far as I’m aware,” Hyubey nodded. “…Oh! Except for bringing back the dead. I recall that not being a wise or productive wish.”

Sachiyo snorted. “Who’d want to bring back the dead, anyway? It’s the living that matter.”

“Humans seem to have a strangely powerful attachment to the deceased,” Hyubey pointed out. “I’m certain there are many out there who would wish to bring loved ones back from death.”

“Well, I’m not one of them,” Sachiyo declared, arms folding behind her head as she stretched. “But I’m still kind of doubting you. This Magical Girl business sounds sketchy at best.”

“Then perhaps we need one last bit of proof to allow you to make a proper decision,” Hyubey suggested. “Tomoko, pull out your Soul Gem. We’re going for a stroll.”

“Huh? Why? And where?” Tomoko asked, Soul Gem still in hand.

“You were doubtful of me until Lisette attacked us. Sachiyo is in the same situation of doubt,” Hyubey explained, standing up and brushing his pants off. “So we will search out a Witch, enter the barrier, and fight her. Seeing a Magical Girl in action should be enough proof for you, correct, Sachiyo?”

“How will we find one? Lisette came to us before, remember?” Tomoko complained, jumping to her feet worriedly.

“Soul Gems can detect if Witches are nearby. The more light they emit, the closer to a Witch’s barrier we are,” Hyubey explained, smiling at Tomoko. “Once we’re close enough, I’ll determine the strength of the Witch. We’ll find one that’s not very strong so you can kill her.”

“…If you say so,” Tomoko relented, staring at the ground. _So much for today being a quiet day…_

“You will join us, won’t you?” Hyubey asked, looking at Sachiyo. “This demonstration is pointless if you don’t witness it.”

“Yeah, I’ll go. If you want to risk your lives to prove a point, go for it,” Sachiyo shrugged, amused. “It should be a great show regardless, right?”

“It depends on your definition of ‘show’,” Hyubey replied, walking away.

Tomoko scurried after him, staying close. Sachiyo sauntered behind them, following along as they left the park and headed through town. Tomoko jumped when her Soul Gem began to glow faintly.

“A Witch is nearby. That way,” Hyubey said gently, pointing out the proper direction.

The trio moved through the city crowds, following the gradually glowing light of the Soul Gem. It reached its brightest at a garage at the edge of a construction site. Hyubey pulled up the yellow tape, gesturing for Tomoko and Sachiyo to head in. They headed for the open garage doors.

“She’s not very strong at all,” Hyubey said. “It’s another newborn, probably birthed during the last few days, just like Lisette.”

“Witches are ‘birthed’?” Sachiyo giggled.

“They’re created from curses,” Tomoko corrected shakily. “Hyubey, are we—”

“The barrier is right in front of us,” Hyubey interrupted, holding out a hand. Sparks erupted as a wall seemingly appeared out of nowhere in front of his hand, still mostly transparent. “Tomoko, hold out your Soul Gem. Once the door opens, we’ll head inside and search for the Witch.”

“Search for it?” Tomoko repeated, confused.

“Lisette came to us and trapped us in her barrier last time. This time, we’re entering the barrier of our own free will,” Hyubey explained. “Lisette was probably making the school into her hunting grounds. This Witch has already done so with this area. Don’t expect her to react like Lisette did. This Witch has already nested. Lisette had not.”

“Got it,” Tomoko nodded.

She held out her Soul Gem. The barrier crackled before a large blue door covered in red roses appeared. The door opened inward, beckoning them inside with the tantalizing view of the empty garage. Hyubey entered first, Tomoko following him with Sachiyo trailing behind her. The door closed firmly behind them before disappearing.

The parking garage warped and melted away around them, leaving a crisscross world of gray chain link walls and black and white checkerboard flooring. Dominos of various sizes, colors, and designs floated in the air between randomly scattered chess pieces. Tomoko yelped when she nearly tripped, realizing there was black and red checkers spilled across the floor.

“Somebody likes old board games too much,” Sachiyo commented. “I’m expecting to see Candyland in here somehow.”

“Every Witch is different, especially the world they inhabit within the barrier,” Hyubey stated. “Tomoko, remember how Lisette functioned in her world. Try to think of what this Witch may do considering what this world is.”

_Lisette had rainbows and broken candy heart bits,_ Tomoko recalled. _This Witch has game pieces and wire fences…_

“Where’s this Witch? I’m not seeing it anywhere, just more dumb game pieces,” Sachiyo complained, annoyed.

“She’s around here somewhere, don’t worry about that,” Hyubey guaranteed.

“Yeah, well, I’m getting bo—guh!”

Tomoko and Hyubey whipped around to see that Sachiyo had walked into a pane of glass. Sachiyo backed up, attempting to go around it, only to run into more glass. She was surrounded on all sides.

“Hey! Get me out of here!” she shouted, banging on the glass with her fists. “Whoa!”

The floor lurched up, a chunk of it tearing away and shooting upward on a long pole made of metal. The glass around Sachiyo formed a curved box, delicate glass roses growing and tangling around the box’s smooth surface. Sachiyo fell on her butt, staring up at the weird glass plants.

“GET ME OUT OF HERE!!” Sachiyo shouted.

“Sachi—”

“Look out!”

Hyubey slammed into Tomoko just as a large scaly bird’s foot came down on where Tomoko had previously been standing. Tomoko coughed, scrambling to her feet and staring up at the foot’s owner. Hyubey bristled beside her.

“Crystalin Merle,” Hyubey said. “The Witch of this barrier.”

She was gigantic, easily towering over what Lisette had been. She was some kind of hunchbacked blackbird wearing tiny spectacles and a filthy white nightshirt. Four pairs of wings, all made of glass, erupted from her back. Brilliant red roses, thorns and vines and leaves and all, climbed over and around her back and chest, even scaling up her wings. Swarming beneath her was a mass of tiny humanoid minions with black and white marble balls for heads.

“That’s a newborn?!” Tomoko yelped.

“I told you not to expect the same thing as Lisette. Every Witch is different,” Hyubey reminded her. “Quickly! Turn into a Magical Girl and kill it! Before it decides to eat Sachiyo!”

“Before it WHAT?!” Sachiyo shrieked from her glass cage.

Holding her Soul Gem tightly, Tomoko changed into a Magical Girl. Summoning the asteroid-headed mace, she tensed before launching herself into the air. The swarm of ball-headed minions surged forward, waving spears and axes wildly. Hyubey joined her up in the air, rebounding off of the floating dominoes before landing.

Relieved that the Incubator was safe, Tomoko took the initiative and launched an aerial attack. The head of her mace grew to gigantic proportions, crashing down on the checkerboard floor and crushing hundreds of the tiny minions beneath its golden weight. A few tried to scale the weapon but Tomoko just lifted it and gave it a good swing, sending them flying at Crystalin Merle and impacting against her wings.

The Witch gave a loud croaking shriek. The minions climbed on top of each other, trying to form a living ladder to reach the girl. Tomoko took the opportunity and swung her mace into the ladder, destroying most of the minions and downing the rest. With them out of the way, she turned to the Witch herself.

Crystalin Merle gave another croak before lunging, sharp beak intent on impaling the girl. Tomoko shot up too high for the bird to reach before bringing her mace down on the Witch’s back, shattering her already cracked glass wings. The bird screamed, lurching back to crash into Sachiyo’s cage. The glass shattered and the pole tipped, spilling Sachiyo to take the long fall to the ground.

“GAAAAAAAAH!!” Sachiyo screamed, flailing hopelessly in the air.

Something impacted with her in midair, stopping her fall. She clung desperately to it, eyes squeezed shut as she awaited her demise. When nothing happened, she cracked an eye open. Hyubey looked down at her, a small smile on his lips.

“…Thanks?” Sachiyo squeaked, blushing when she realized she was in his arms like a newlywed bride.

“Don’t thank me yet. Watch,” Hyubey prompted, looking up.

“Huh?” Sachiyo followed his gaze and gasped. “T…Tomoko!”

Crystalin Merle gave a screech as the mace’s gigantic head impacted the Witch’s skull, pile-driving her into the ground. Her body shuddered briefly before going still. The body suddenly deflated, leaving a pile of black goo and a filthy nightshirt behind amongst the dying roses. Sparkling at the center of the largest rose was a Grief Seed.

Tomoko landed lightly, picking her prize up as the world warped and dissolved around her. She turned back to normal, Magical Girl outfit replaced with her school uniform. There was no sign of Crystalin Merle or her barrier. They were back in the parking garage again, just where they had entered nearly an hour ago.

“That is how you fight a Witch, Sachiyo,” Hyubey said simply, setting the redhead down on the ground. “That’s two Grief Seeds now, Tomoko.”

“My Soul Gem still isn’t that dark,” Tomoko reported, holding out the gem.

“Hmmm… You should be okay for now. After the next fight, use one. Just in case,” Hyubey advised.

“Got it,” Tomoko nodded, stashing away her Soul Gem.

“That was trippy as heck,” Sachiyo admitted, rubbing her forehead. “And you _agreed_ to do that?”

“Not really…but, at the time, I had no choice _but_ to form a contract with Hyubey,” Tomoko explained, leading them away from the parking garage. “Hyubey hadn’t formed any other contracts before. I probably would’ve said no had Lisette, the first Witch I fought, not appeared so suddenly. The only way to escape from her _was_ to become a Magical Girl and kill her.”

Thunder rumbled ominously overhead. The sky had grown dark and stormy during their time in Crystalin Merle’s barrier. It was going to rain soon.

“So you’re not exactly willing or happy with doing this,” Sachiyo guessed.

“I guess I do it because there’s nobody else,” Tomoko answered, head lowered slightly. “And I don’t want to be left alone anymore. Even if it’s just Hyubey, one friend is better than none.”

“…Can I think about it? The contract thing,” Sachiyo asked, looking at Hyubey.

The boy nodded. “Of course. Until then, you can communicate with me and Tomoko using telepathy. Tell me when you’ve made your decision.”

“Will do. See you around,” Sachiyo said, hands shoved into her pockets as she broke away from them and disappeared further down the street into the crowd.

“We better get home quickly, Tomoko. Before it rains on us,” Hyubey prompted.

“Yeah,” Tomoko agreed.

The pair broke into a run, barely making it to Tomoko’s house before the rain poured down. Hyubey turned back into his feline form, invisible to Tomoko’s parents as she ducked inside to stay safe and dry from the storm. Hyubey decided to stay with her that night.

“Do you think Sachiyo made it home safely?” Tomoko asked, lying in the bathtub.

“Most likely. Sachiyo is a strong person. I’m sure she’s just fine,” Hyubey reassured from his place on the toilet seat.

Tomoko sighed, mouth and nose sinking under the hot water. _I hope she’s okay…_

.o.o.o.o.

Sachiyo slammed the door of her room shut, locking it. She could hear the TV blaring sports and the stupid laughter of her dad’s friends. The house stunk like beer and vomit again. It made her want to puke.

A heavy pounding came from the door. “Hey, Sachiyo! Where are the groceries? Didn’t you bring any home?”

“That was _your_ job today, not mine!” Sachiyo barked at the door.

“Hey! Who’s the parent here?” her father shot back.

“Definitely not you,” Sachiyo muttered coldly, knees dragged up to her chest as she sat on her bed.

_“You’re right, she doesn’t look like much…but that’s because she’s just a smidge above where you’ll be if you accept my contract. Tomoko only became a Magical Girl yesterday.”_

The fight against the crow Witch was still on her mind. Tomoko—weak little Tomoko who could only cry—had been swinging that mace around like it was nothing. Sachiyo’s heart twisted in envy. How could she be so strong when she was so weak?

_“This isn’t about helping Tomoko. This is about helping your species. If left unchecked, Witches will spread their curses to other humans and eventually destroy your race, even your planet.”_

She thought of what Hyubey had told her, about how Witches lured in prey. They went after people carrying a lot of despair and led those people to their deaths. With every death, the Witch grew stronger and stronger. Worst of all, nobody but Magical Girls could see or destroy them. For all she knew, every death in the city, all the missing people, everything awful that happened, were because of Witches.

_“Of course, she’s a rookie and has only killed one newborn Witch. She has no fighting experience prior to that. That’s why I sought you out. You have both a lot of potential and you can already fight. You’d make a perfect Magical Girl.”_

Sachiyo fell on her side on the bed. She looked at one of her clenched fists. The image of Tomoko and that mace refused to leave her mind.

“If someone as weak as Tomoko can do it…” She sat up, eyes flashing. “But what to wish for?”

A few minutes passed before Sachiyo looked out the window, streaked with rain from the downpour. _Hyubey, are you there?_

_I’m here, Sachiyo. Have you come to a decision already?_

_…Yeah, I have._


	4. Sachiyo Magica

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEE—

Tomoko slammed a hand down on the alarm clock. Groaning, she sat up and stretched. She tiredly went through her morning routine before plodding downstairs to eat breakfast. Midway through her toast is when she realized something was missing.

Hyubey hadn’t been at the foot of her bed when she woke up. She hadn’t seen him anywhere in the house either. He was completely gone.

Picking up her schoolbag at the door and saying a quick goodbye to her parents, Tomoko slowly headed down the steps. _Hyubey? Where are you?_

There was no response. Tomoko felt her heart sink. She made her way to the school, shoulders hunched and head down.

_Hyubey, where are you?_ she wondered fearfully.

A hand clapped down on her shoulder, startling her. Fur brushed against the back of her neck before a familiar black and white feline perched on her shoulder, red eyes staring at her. Sachiyo was walking to her right, hand on Tomoko’s shoulder from forming the bridge from her shoulder to Tomoko’s own for Hyubey to pass over.

“Hey,” Sachiyo greeted, loosening her grip on the other’s shoulder.

“Hi,” Tomoko squeaked, glancing between Hyubey and Sachiyo. _Did Hyubey go to check on Sachiyo sometime during the night?_

 _Sachiyo wanted to see me about the contract, so I guess in a way, the answer to that question is yes,_ Hyubey stated.

Tomoko jumped, having not expected a reply. _Oh… I was worried this morning. You weren’t there._

 _My apologies. We tried to get to your house as fast as we could but you were gone when we got there,_ Hyubey explained. _So we ran here and found you. You know the rest._

 _What did Sachiyo want?_ Tomoko asked.

_I made a contract,_ Sachiyo answered, flashing the other girl a smirk. _Now I can go kill those Witches just like you do._

 _…Huh? She actually accepted?!_ Tomoko just stared at Sachiyo in shock.

_You can stop acting like I can’t hear you,_ Sachiyo pointed out. _I can do the telepathy thing too now, you know._

 _Oh. Sorry,_ Tomoko apologized, head lowered nervously.

_Let’s meet after school and get to Witch hunting, ‘kay?_ Sachiyo decided.

_Huh? You mean you want to help me? Uh, I mean… You want to stick together?_ Tomoko corrected herself quickly, embarrassed by her selfish slip-up.

_Why not? At least until I can figure out how to kill them myself,_ Sachiyo shrugged, arms folded behind her head as she kept walking. _Wouldn’t want you to die right off the bat. You’re the one who knows what you’re doing. I’m just the new rookie._

Before Tomoko could say anything in response, Sachiyo let go of her shoulder and wandered ahead.

_Oh yeah, sorry for stealing your boyfriend last night. I didn’t interrupt anything, right?_

“He’s not my boyfriend!” Tomoko denied, face red.

Sachiyo looked back at her in surprise. The outburst had attracted a few stares from other students who quickly moved on when they realized who had shouted. Tomoko’s blush deepened and she hid her face behind one hand. Sachiyo laughed, throwing an arm around her shoulders.

“I was teasing! Geez, learn to take a joke and not freak out!” she cackled good-naturedly.

Tomoko just hid behind her hands in shame as Sachiyo steered them into the school building for class.

.o.o.o.o.

“So, just follow the light?” Sachiyo asked.

“That’s right. The brighter it is—”

“The closer the Witch. Yeah, I remember,” Sachiyo cut in, glowering at the raven-haired boy behind her. “Do you have to come with us everywhere?”

“No, but I prefer to. I don’t want anything bad to happen to you,” Hyubey stated, having assumed his human form once the trio had left the school.

“Whatever,” Sachiyo rolled her eyes. “…Darn it. Where are these Witches hiding?”

“Oh! Point it that way! I saw light!” Tomoko exclaimed.

Sachiyo did as she was told and her scarlet Soul Gem indeed sparked with light. “Good eye,” she complimented, going in that direction and watching the light grow brighter. “I thought these things were everywhere. Not as easy to find as I thought they’d be.”

“There _are_ a lot of Witches but they’re not going to all be as easy to find as Lisette and Crystalin Merle were,” Hyubey pointed out. “The stronger Witches are capable of hiding better and evading detection. You won’t even know they’re there until you’re very close to their barrier.”

“I guess that makes sense,” Sachiyo admitted.

“I think we’re close,” Tomoko pointed out.

Sachiyo’s Soul Gem was glowing brightly. The trio had entered a warehouse full of crates and pallets. A few of the windows were cracked and broken. Hyubey stepped forward, reaching out a hand. The air crackled and a large wooden door appeared. There was a wrought iron cross attached to it using lengths of twisted wire.

“Ready?” Hyubey asked. “This will be your first Witch fight, Sachiyo. She’s a newborn, like the others.”

“I can take it,” Sachiyo smirked bravely.

“Tomoko, try to hang back at first. Let Sachiyo try herself and her weapon out,” Hyubey suggested.

“Okay,” Tomoko nodded, clutching her own Soul Gem close. “Let’s go!”

The door opened. Hyubey and Sachiyo entered shoulder to shoulder, Tomoko trailing after them. The door closed heavily behind them, the warehouse warping around them to form a grassy hill. The sky was a swirling mass of red sky and grayish-black clouds. The grass was varying shades of brown with one large skeletal aspen tree placed at the very top. Coating the sides and bottom of the hill were multiple tall iron crosses and huge black spikes growing from the ground, the grass giving way to black dirt further down the hill.

“A graveyard?” Sachiyo muttered.

“Keep your guard up. Waverly is close by,” Hyubey warned.

“You know the names of all of these Witches?” Sachiyo questioned.

“Not at first,” Hyubey admitted, backing up a step. “But once you’re inside of the barrier and confronted by the Witch’s power, you know exactly who they are.”

“Hey, there’s someone down there!” Tomoko cried.

A woman dressed in a suit jacket and skirt was stumbling between the crosses. Tomoko ran down the steep hill, Sachiyo and Hyubey on her heels. When they reached the bottom, the woman was staring up at one of the crosses blankly.

“Is that the Witch?” Sachiyo asked, confused.

“Look at her neck!” Hyubey hissed. “She must be one of Waverly’s victims. She has a Witch’s Kiss on her. It’s how you can tell targets from others.”

“What do we do?” Tomoko whimpered. “We have to get her out of here!”

Hyubey bristled suddenly, whipping around. “Here comes Waverly! Tomoko, knock the woman out. Waverly must be trying to kill her.”

“Knock her out? How do I—”

“Like this,” Sachiyo barked, cracking the side of her hand against the back of the woman’s neck. She fell to the ground in a heap. Sachiyo picked up the blade that had fallen from the woman’s hands. “Whoa… She really _was_ trying to kill herself.”

“That’s what Witches do. They target despair and convince their targets to kill themselves. Then they feed on the despair unleashed upon their death,” Hyubey explained. “Here she comes!”

The sky suddenly tore in two, like fabric being cut by a knife. A huge ball of orange, resembling a sun draw by a child, came down from the torn sky. Two hands, clawed and deadly-looking, drifted unattached to her round body. Wide yellow eyes stared down at them, a toothy sneer on her face.

She pointed at the group of them and gave a primal howl. The black and red sky fluttered to the ground like curtains, revealing a black expanse full of tiny white specks. Those specks surged forward in force, tiny glittering white stars with dots for eyes and wide mouths.

Sachiyo began to glow, turning into a Magical Girl. She had a black bandanna around the top of her head with red patterns on it. Black paint lines were under her eyes. A long red trench coat flowed down to her ankles. She wore a light gray tank top under a thick black harness carrying an assortment of knives and small bladed weapons, black pants, and knee-length black boots covered in buckles. She had arm guards on her lower arms along with black fingerless gloves. Around her neck was a black choker with a scarlet upside-down triangle-shaped gem—her Soul Gem.

“Whoa…” Tomoko whispered.

“Tomoko, you too. We need to protect the woman until Waverly is defeated,” Hyubey said firmly. “If Sachiyo should get in too over her head, you’ll need to be able to help right away.”

“Good idea,” Tomoko admitted.

Her Soul Gem flowed and she turned into a Magical Girl. She summoned her mace, slamming the head into the ground as she stood before the unconscious woman.

Sachiyo watched Tomoko summon her weapon. Holding out her own hand, she focused. Light built up there, extended out to form a handle before arcing out into a pair of crescent moon blades at both ends of the handle. Spinning it, Sachiyo admired the moon scythe with awe. It felt like nothing despite its heavy appearance.

She recalled how Tomoko fought. She had practically been flying back in that other barrier. Could she do that too?

The tiny stars grew closer. Sachiyo tensed before springing, launching herself straight up. She watched the ground get further away. She felt light as air, like she was flying. Gravity had no say in her actions now.

She twisted, swinging the scythe around. The tiny star minions gave a screech and swarmed her. For a moment, Sachiyo was swallowed by a mass of white. Two slashes cut the ball into fourths, spilling red to the ground as the minions fell away from the unharmed redhead. The remaining stars faltered, suddenly worried.

Waverly roared, charging forward. The stars screamed in terror, any that Waverly came into contact with burning to ash and fluttering to the ground lifelessly. Sachiyo swung her weapon forward, ready for her. Wavery launched both hands forward, only for Sachiyo to shoot straight up. She brought her blade down, chopping Waverly clean in two.

The hands kept going, claws stabbing deep into the ground not far from Hyubey and Tomoko. The ground suddenly shook before lurching upward like a closing mouth, with the others at its center. The crosses resembled teeth suddenly as the ground moved to devour all three of them.

“Tomoko, do something!” Hyubey shouted, scooping up the woman and struggling to keep his footing on the quickly-sloping ground.

Tomoko swung her mace up, the head growing. She brought it down in the central divide in the ground, where the throat would be if it was an actual mouth. The rising walls of black earth and iron crosses froze before giving a rumbling roar, fall back into their proper places on the ground. Tomoko sighed in relief, dropping to her knees on the ground…and giving a shriek when red rained down on her from above.

The two halves of Waverly, along with the slashed remains of her star minions, crashed to the ground. Sachiyo landed by the bisected Witch, smirking. The dimension dissolved around them, leaving a glittering Grief Seed behind. Turning back into her school uniform, Sachiyo picked it up and inspected it curiously.

“So this is a Grief Seed, huh?” she asked. Turning on her heel, she tossed it to Tomoko. “Hyubey said you needed to use one, right?”

“What about you?” Tomoko asked, catching the seed as she too returned to normal.

“Sachiyo didn’t use much magic at all,” Hyubey reassured. “She’ll be fine for another fight or two. You, on the other hand… See how dark your Soul Gem is?”

Tomoko gasped when she looked at the egg-shaped jewel. Its once silvery surface was now a deep gray color. Looking at the Grief Seed in her other hand, she pressed it against her Soul Gem. The darkness erupted from the gem and was sucked into the Grief Seed, which began to glow black before dimming again. Tomoko’s Soul Gem was now back to its cheery silver color.

“So that’s how it works,” Tomoko muttered, looking at the Grief Seed.

“If a Grief Seed absorbs too much grief, it can revert back to a Witch again,” Hyubey warned. “I’ll hold onto that one, just so that can’t happen, okay?”

“Okay,” Tomoko agreed, holding out the Grief Seed.

Hyubey turned back into an Incubator. Accepting the Grief Seed, he tossed his head back to throw the seed. The red oval mark on his back suddenly flipped up, revealing an empty void inside of his body. The Grief Seed fell in and the oval fell back into place, not a hair out of place on the feline.

Sachiyo and Tomoko stared at him in shock. Hyubey looked up at them, confused.

“What?”

.o.o.o.o.

“That was pretty cool,” Sachiyo admitted as they left the warehouse, heading back through town to their homes. “I think I can live with doing this for the rest of my life.”

“You don’t exactly have a choice right now,” Hyubey pointed out from his perch on Tomoko’s shoulder.

“I know that!” Sachiyo barked, annoyed. “I’m just saying that this was a good idea for me.”

“…Um, can I ask you something, Sachiyo?” Tomoko questioned nervously.

“Yeah, what?” the redhead asked.

“What was your—”

“Sachiyo! Over here!”

“Huh?” Sachiyo squinted. “…Dad? What’s he doing out here?”

A tall man wearing a forest green baseball cap, red plaid vest, white T-shirt, faded blue jeans, and brown boots stood down the street. He had slightly long reddish-brown hair, green eyes, and a prickly stubble along his jawbone. He lifted an arm, waving at them.

“That’s your dad?” Tomoko asked, surprised. “He must’ve come to pick you up.”

“I guess so,” Sachiyo muttered, shoulders squared. “We’ll talk tomorrow, Tomoko. See you then.”

Keeping her tense posture, she headed toward her dad. After a short chat, she climbed into the passenger’s seat of her dad’s beat up old car. The vehicle pulled away from the curb and down the street, disappearing from sight.

“…She didn’t seem happy to see him,” Tomoko noted, walking down the street to her house.

“From what I gathered last night when I visited Sachiyo, she and her father don’t get along very well,” Hyubey explained.

“I hope she’s okay,” Tomoko muttered softly.

Reaching the steps of her house, she started to head up them when Hyubey jumped onto the railing. She looked at him in confusion.

“I’m going to go scout out more Witch locations. That way, we’re not just wandering aimlessly around after school anymore,” Hyubey said, tail twitching. “I’ll be back later tonight. Is that okay?”

“Good idea. See you later?” Tomoko asked hopefully.

“Of course. I’ll be here before you go to bed,” Hyubey promised, ducking his head slightly. “See you then!”

The feline darted down the railing to the ground. He darted down the street and disappeared into the crowd. Tomoko sighed before heading inside, greeting her family and apologizing for being late.

.o.o.o.o.

The car jerked and creaked and groaned as it headed down the highway. Sachiyo rested her shoulder against the window. The interior smelled like cigarette smoke and alcohol, though it was fainter somehow.

_Did dad seriously wash the car? How much of my allowance did that eat up?_ Sachiyo wondered bitterly.

It was quiet for several minutes before her dad dared to speak. “Sachiyo? You okay?”

“I’m just grand. You?” Sachiyo answered curtly.

He sighed, slouching forward slightly. “Look, I… I know things have been bad lately…and I wanted to say sorry.”

“You’ve said it before. Nothing changes,” Sachiyo pointed out dully, staring out the window.

“Well, something’s going to change now,” he declared, straightening.

“You’re finally going to rehab?” Sachiyo guessed sarcastically.

“Yeah,” he confirmed.

She laughed. “Oh, have I heard _that_ a dozen times before! You’ll forget about it come morning when you drink yourself into a stupor.”

“No, Sachiyo, I’m serious this time,” he said firmly. “Just wait until you see the house. I cleaned up and everything. Dumped all my booze down the sink, threw out the cigarettes, the works!”

“Oh, this I got to see,” Sachiyo snickered meanly. “Which neighbor did you pay to do all that for you?”

“Sachiyo, I did it myself,” her dad said, looking desperately at her. “Look, I know I haven’t been good to you since your mother left…but I want to try again. Will you let me?”

“Should I jump out of the car now? This is usually when I have to, right?” Sachiyo asked, looking back at her dad. She paused, seeing the look on his face. “…Dad?”

“I… Look, I know I don’t deserve another chance. All the yelling and the beatings and…you know! I don’t deserve another chance, I know that!” he ranted, gripping the wheel tighter. “But…I never wanted things to get this bad with us. I thought I could take care of you. I wanted so bad to prove that to her…but I can see now that I’ve failed.”

“Dad?” Sachiyo whispered, heart racing. _No way. This isn’t happening. This can’t be… This has to be a dream…_

“I’m going to rehab…for real,” he promised. “I’m dropping the drinking, the smoking, the drugs, all of it! I want to go back to being the dad I used to be. I want us to be a proper family again. I want you to come home and hug me and tell me how your day went. I want to be someone who you can be proud of again.”

“Dad…” Sachiyo could feel the tears welling up in her eyes. _If this is a dream, God, please don’t wake me up._

“Sachiyo… Will you help me do this? I don’t want to go back to being the guy who’d yell and scream at you,” he begged, looking at her with tears in his eyes. He looked so old and tired suddenly. “You’re a kid. You should be having fun with your friends, not buying groceries for your bum dad. I want to take care of myself again. I want you to be happy living with me at home.”

“…Of course I’ll help you!” Sachiyo choked, tears rushing down her cheeks. “Dad, you don’t know how long I’ve wanted to hear this from you!”

“I know. It’s been a long overdue thing, huh?” he joked lightly. “Come on. Give your old man a hug.”

Sachiyo lunged, hugging her dad tightly. He wrapped one arm around her, keeping his other hand on the steering wheel. He buried his nose in her red locks, tears dripping down his face. God, he had missed this.

As Sachiyo pulled away, she saw a flash of red in her peripheral vision. Whipping forward, she saw the red light. She screamed.

“DAD!!”

The semi crashed into the driver’s side, sending them spinning. The front bumper crashed into the light pole, the windshield cracking. Sachiyo smashed her head on the dashboard, her vision swimming. Darkness closed in.

Shouting. Bright lights flashing. Hands grabbing her, pulling her from the vehicle. Sachiyo groaned, cracking her eyes open.

“Dad?”

More voices, louder and panicked. There were a lot of people gathered around the driver’s side of the car. Why was the windshield red?

Whoever was carrying Sachiyo circled around the back of the crashed car and headed for an ambulance. It didn’t stop her from seeing the sheet resting over a tall frame lying on the ground by the car. Red soaked the sheet and painted a trail to the driver’s door. She might not have given it much mind had she not seen the forest green baseball cap rested upside-down on the asphalt nearby the body.

“Dad,” she whispered.

More voices. A stretcher was being brought out of the ambulance. The person holding her was trying to comfort her, turning away from the body.

“Dad? Dad! DAD!!” she shrieked, struggling. “Let me go! That’s my dad over there! Dad! DADDY!!”

High above the chaos of the car crash sat Hyubey, red eyes reflecting the flashing lights of the ambulance and police cars. He watched as Sachiyo was manhandled into the back of the ambulance, kicking and screaming herself hoarse. Once the medical vehicle was gone, Hyubey bounded across the streetlights and moved deeper into town.

_“I want my dad to love me again. I want him to care about me like he used to. No more drugs or drinking or smoking. I want my dad… I want my dad back to how he was, even if it’s only for a little bit! I want to see him again, one more time, before he kicks the bucket on me!”_

“Poor Sachiyo. You should’ve been careful with the wording of your wish,” Hyubey commented as he trotted down the streets toward Tomoko’s house. “This wouldn’t have had to happen if you weren’t so selfish. Oh well, it’s people like you that make my job easier. I wonder how long you’ll last before you turn into a Witch…”


	5. Crash

“Hyubey…?”

The whispers wouldn’t stop. They had faltered briefly when the teacher was lecturing but the moment he was pulled from the room by another staff member, the whispers started again. Even if Tomoko had clapped her hands over her ears, she wouldn’t have been able to drown out the noise.

Well, not so much the _noise_ but the _content_ of the whispers.

“Yeah, I saw the ambulance from my window! It was freaky!”

“I heard the other driver was okay. Not even a scratch. But that guy…”

“I saw bloodstains on the street still. The whole area’s marked off but holy cow, is it a mess over there!”

“Is it true? Was it really _her_ dad that…you know?”

Tomoko was shaking. She didn’t know whether it was fear or frustration or…something else. All this whispering, it was getting to her. She wanted to jump up and scream at them to be quiet. She didn’t want to hear it.

“Hyubey?” she whimpered again.

_Yes, Tomoko?_ the feline prompted, curled up atop her schoolbag, tail over his nose as he drifted between sleep and consciousness.

Tomoko took a shaky breath. “Is it true? What they’re saying? Did Sachiyo…?”

Hyubey cracked an eye open, head tilting to look up at her. _I wouldn’t know. Something certainly happened on that street last night...and Sachiyo isn’t present in class today…_

Tomoko shifted in her seat, glancing across the room. Sachiyo’s desk was empty and had been all day. The redhead had not showed up that morning to tease her or anything on the walk over. It was oddly quiet without her there, aside from the endless whispers.

_Where could she be?_ Tomoko wondered, looking back at her lap. Her hands fumbled with her skirt awkwardly. _What if they’re right? Did Sachiyo’s dad really…?_

_Why don’t we go find out?_

The raven-haired girl jumped, not expecting a reply to her thoughts. Staring at Hyubey, she recalled that he was telepathic. The cat opened both eyes and stretched on her bag, paws stretching toward the floor.

_She’s probably at the hospital or the police station since she was present at the scene. If you’re so worried, let’s go find her,_ he stated.

_What about Witches? And isn’t it rude to barge into the middle of an investigation like that?_ Tomoko questioned nervously, looking at her desktop.

_Not if you’re just worried about your friend,_ Hyubey replied, straightening up from his stretching. _If you’re so nervous about being seen, then try talking to her using telepathy._

Tomoko froze before groaning. _I keep forgetting we can do that…_

Her forehead bonked lightly on her desktop as she slumped over, ashamed of her scatterbrained habits. Ignoring the handful of stares, she shifted her head so her cheek was pressed to the cool wood. She closed her eyes, sighing.

_Sachiyo? Can you hear me? Please answer. I’m hearing a lot of strange things…and I’m worried about you. I want to be sure you’re okay._

A paw brushed her face, making her flinch. Tomoko cracked an eye open to see Hyubey perched on the edge of her desk, one paw held in front of his face curiously. She didn’t get what he was doing at first until she saw a twinkle of light on his paw.

A teardrop clung to his white paw. A teardrop he had wiped from her face.

Lifting a hand, she wiped her cheeks and the bridge of her nose. They were sticky with tears. She hadn’t noticed that she had begun to cry.

Tomoko buried her face against the desktop. Her heart clenched painfully. It hurt. She hated it.

.o.o.o.o.

_Can you come and get me?_

Tomoko jumped, nearly bashing her head on the underside of the bench. Safely withdrawing from beneath the park seat and shaking grass from her hair, she looked around before realizing where the voice was coming from. Hyubey stood at attention on the bench by her bag, having heard the message too.

_Sachiyo! Are you okay? What happened?_ Tomoko asked quickly, getting to her feet and slinging her schoolbag over her shoulder.

Sachiyo was quiet for a few minutes. Then she spoke, tone dull and monotone. _Can you come and get me? Please?_

_Where are you? Sachiyo, are yo—_

_I’m at the police station,_ Sachiyo cut in. _Please come and get me._

 _I’m on my way right now!_ Tomoko promised, darting away from the park bench and down the cobblestone path. _Sachiyo, what happened? People at school kept talking about a car crash…and your dad…and…!_

Sachiyo didn’t reply. Tomoko bit down a sob and ran faster, racing out of the park and through the crowded streets toward the police station. Hyubey ran along with her before performing a flying leap, clinging to her bag by his claws before safely scaling it to curl along its top. Tomoko nearly crashed headlong into a police officer exiting the building, bowing furiously in apology before stumbling inside.

Sachiyo was seated near the door in one of a long line of chairs nestled against the wall. Her clothes looked rumpled and her hair was a mess. Her head was down, a small frown on her lips and dark circles under her eyes.

Hearing footsteps, Sachiyo looked up. Tomoko gave a cry and lunged, hugging the other and crying. Sachiyo stiffened before sighed, one hand shakily rising to rub the other’s back. Hyubey bounded up onto the chair next to her.

_Tomoko has been worried all day about you,_ he reported.

Sachiyo gave a broken chuckle, getting the feeling that the feline was trying and failing to scold her. “I know. I heard.”

_You never replied, not until now,_ Hyubey pointed out.

“I was busy,” Sachiyo muttered, resting her forehead against Tomoko’s hair and closing her eyes. “It’s been an awful day for me…”

A set of footsteps made Sachiyo open her eyes, shifting her head so she could see just above Tomoko’s head. A police officer stood there, watching the two girls. There was pity on his face. Sachiyo’s eyes crinkled. She tugged the back of Tomoko’s shirt collar, successfully detaching the other and nodding toward the officer. Tomoko wiped her eyes, embarrassed.

“Sorry abou—” Tomoko was cut off by the redhead.

“I’ll be going home with her,” Sachiyo stated coldly.

“Do you need a ride?” the office asked.

“No. We can walk,” Sachiyo replied, gently pushing Tomoko away so she could stand. “I’m done here, right? You don’t need anything else from me?”

“Not at the moment, no,” the officer admitted. “We’ll keep in touch if anything else comes up.”

Sachiyo bit down the harsh retort bubbling in her throat. Grabbing Tomoko’s hand, she yanked her out the door and shoved through the street crowds. Tomoko struggled to keep up, apologizing to those that Sachiyo harshly shoved from her path.

They didn’t stay on the city streets for long, eventually ducking into an alley that led them to a side street that left the main city square behind them. Sachiyo led the way, never letting go of Tomoko’s hand. Tomoko was grateful for this. The side street was trashed and looked straight out of a mafia film where they slit the throats of innocent bystanders for laughs. She moved closer to Sachiyo, huddling in the other girl’s shadow as they moved.

The buildings grew more dilapidated the further down the street the trio went. Windows boasted cracks and holes, some completely shattered. Paint peeled from walls and doors. Graffiti decorated the brick and wood, adding color to the drab of the back street neighborhood. Sachiyo paid it no mind but Tomoko was equally frightened and fascinated by it. She had never been this far from the main city streets before.

A small red house, more like a rectangular block made of rough wood with a few dusty windows and a door that had a huge crack up the middle, crept into view. Sachiyo made for it, heading up the creaky wooden steps to the door and pushing it open. Tomoko noticed there was no doorknob, only a hole where it had once been. She was pulled inside before she could take note of anymore damages to the house’s exterior.

Tomoko felt nauseous instantly as Sachiyo led her through the entryway and living room. The place stunk like alcohol and smoke. She wanted to faint. There was no fresh air and her lungs were suddenly burning from the foul oxygen they were struggling to process. Pinching her nose and holding her breath, she urged Sachiyo to move faster.

Once in a smaller room, Sachiyo forced the window open. Tomoko dashed for it and stuck her head out, coughing and gasping. Fresh air, however musty it was in the back street, had never tasted so good until that moment.

Sachiyo cracked a smirk for the first time in hours. “Sorry about that. This place isn’t exactly hygienic.”

“Where are we?” Tomoko coughed, firmly keeping her head out the window.

“…My house,” Sachiyo muttered.

Tomoko took a few deep breaths before daring to withdraw back into the foul-aired room. She stared at Sachiyo in confusion. The redhead paid her no mind, busying herself by collecting some items from her drawer and desk—clothes, school supplies, knickknacks, and other things. She stuffed them into her schoolbag until it looked ready to burst.

“What are you doing?” Tomoko asked, confused and a bit scared.

“What does it look like? I’m packing,” Sachiyo replied. “I mean, I’m not going to be able to stay here now.”

Tomoko felt dread claw her spine, sending shivers through her. “Then…what I was hearing was…?”

“My dad’s dead,” Sachiyo confirmed, not stopping her packing. “Drove through a red light and got hit by a semi. Doctors say I’m lucky that I wasn’t hurt. The impact was on his side. He died right away.”

“…I’m sorry,” Tomoko whispered.

“Don’t be. It was going to happen eventually,” Sachiyo snorted, zipping her schoolbag up and searching her closet for another. “That’s what happens when you’re a drunk. You do stupid shit and then you die.”

“What about your mom?” Tomoko hesitantly asked.

“Long gone. She probably doesn’t even remember me anymore,” Sachiyo replied, pulling a wheeled suitcase from the depths of her rickety closet. “I’m on my own now. Cops gave me twenty-four hours to pack up and get out of here.”

“Why?”

“Because they plan to sell this place to some other people who don’t give two shits where they live as long as it has a roof, walls, floor, water, electricity, and heat. Guess what? This place has it all!” Sachiyo barked, stuffing her bedding into the suitcase. “I’m old enough to live on my own, so I’m expected to buck up and find somewhere to live now that I’m officially parent-free.”

“But…that’s not fair! They can’t expect you to be okay by yourself out he—”

“You think they CARE?!” Sachiyo shot back, whipping around to glare at her. “Well, newsflash! They DON’T! They take your money and anything else you’re dumb enough to give them! And when you have no more, BOOM! You’re on your own! No one cares! NO ONE!”

Tomoko couldn’t respond. Her throat had closed up. Tears stung her eyes. She wanted to cry…but she didn’t want to seem anymore pathetic than she already did in front of Sachiyo. She turned away, scrubbing her eyes with the back of a hand.

Sachiyo’s tension died when Tomoko broke eye contact. The redhead returned to packing. Silence ruled over the house aside from the rustling of cloth and the sharp sound of zippers being zipped.

“We’ve got a spare room at my house.”

Sachiyo paused. It was a few moments before Tomoko spoke again.

“I had two older brothers that both passed away in a car crash. My dad is in a wheelchair because of that same crash,” Tomoko said softly, staring at the far wall. “One of the rooms was turned into a crafting room for mom. The other one has random stuff in it, stuff we planned to throw in storage but never got around to doing. If I ask mom, I could clear out the storage room. You could stay there, if you wanted…”

“Would your parents really accept a stranger into their house?” Sachiyo snorted.

“If I explained, they might,” Tomoko said.

“…Do what you like. I’ll be in the park if you need me,” Sachiyo replied, hefting her schoolbag over her shoulder and pulling up the handle on her suitcase.

“Please come home with me, Sachiyo. Please?” Tomoko asked, looking at the redhead.

“…Whatever. We’re going that way, so why not? At least it’s a straight shot to the park if things go bad,” Sachiyo muttered.

.o.o.o.o.

The walk to Tomoko’s house was long and silent. Tomoko didn’t dare speak, too scared of chasing Sachiyo off. Sachiyo was too busy eyeing surrounding buildings and people to bother talking, if she even wanted to talk to start with. Hyubey remained perched on the top of Tomoko’s schoolbag, snoozing away at her hip.

“There’s a Witch here.”

Tomoko stopped, surprised. She turned to see Sachiyo looking down a side street, Soul Gem in her hand. It was glowing brightly. Tomoko carefully pulled her own out. It began to glow just as brightly as Sachiyo’s when she held it in the direction of the side street.

“Guess we’re going Witch hunting first,” Sachiyo muttered, heading down the side street. “You coming?”

_We better go with her, Tomoko. Sachiyo isn’t in a proper emotional state to be fighting a Witch. She’ll need help,_ Hyubey advised, having roused from his snooze.

“Right,” Tomoko nodded.

She darted down the side street after Sachiyo, staying close to the redhead. A station, one of the old ones for the tram that had been torn down last year, was up ahead. It was old and decrepit-looking, but all the graffiti painted on it suggested that it was far from abandoned by the city’s inhabitants. Sachiyo led the way, stopping at the stairwell that led up to the platform.

Hyubey jumped off of Tomoko’s back, transforming into his human form. “You’re getting better at this,” he complimented, reaching out.

The air in front of them shimmered before a massive bronze door appeared. It was covered in chains and clockwork gear designs. Placing his hand on it, Hyubey gave a push. The mighty door refused to budge. Hyubey bashed his shoulder into it. Still no give.

“Something wrong?” Sachiyo asked, amused by Hyubey’s efforts to open the door.

“Perhaps we’re not meant to get in here yet,” Hyubey muttered, stepping away. “Or maybe…?”

“Maybe what, Hyubey?” Tomoko asked.

“No, that couldn’t be….could it?” Hyubey muttered, staring at the floor in confusion.

“Hey! Hyubey! Are we going in or what?” Sachiyo demanded, irritated at the sudden delay.

Before Hyubey could respond, the massive door creaked open and a shadow shot out, zipping past them. Then the door yanked closed with a heavy thud. The shadow bounded around the station, chains rattling from its toothpick frame as it danced around aimlessly.

“What the hell is that?!” Sachiyo demanded.

“A Familiar! Witches can create them if they’re strong enough to. If a Familiar gets strong enough, it will become a Witch itself!” Hyubey explained. “The Witch behind this door must be exceedingly powerful if it can keep Magical Girls out…”

“Should we catch it? The Familiar?” Tomoko asked, frightened by the twiggy dancing creature.

“Familiars can kill people just like Witches can. They’re just not as strong as Witches,” Hyubey replied.

“Sachiyo, we can’t let it get out of the station!” Tomoko exclaimed.

A bright crimson glow cut Tomoko off. Sachiyo, now transformed, charged at the twiggy Familiar with her scythe. It wasn’t hard to move around it. It was as if the Familiar had no idea where it wanted to go. It issued a noise like a train whistle when the curve of Sachiyo’s blade caught the underside of its head, decapitating it easily.

Even when the head toppled to the ground, the body kept idly dancing and twirling. Sachiyo, annoyed, began hacking away at its limbs until it was nothing but a pile of black shadowy body parts. She stood above it, gasping for breath.

“There! Killed you anyway, hu—UH?!!”

Chains shot from the ceiling, curling around Sachiyo’s arms and chest. The chains began hauling her up toward the rafters in the ceiling. Tomoko cried out, leaping and catching hold of Sachiyo’s legs. A chain coiled around the redhead’s neck, cutting off her air supply.

“Hyubey, help!” Tomoko cried, staring over her shoulder tearfully at the white-haired boy.

Hyubey backed away as the shadowy parts of the Familiar rose, reforming. Chains extended from its hands now, connected to the ones in the rafters that were choking Sachiyo. It was cackling, noises like a rumbling train going down the tracks. Sachiyo’s struggles began to lessen as her air ran out.

“Sachi—AAAH!!”

A chain tore loose of the group, snapping out to strike at Tomoko. Her shoulder burned from the sudden pain, knocking Tomoko from Sachiyo’s legs and sending her to the ground. She curled, clutching her shoulder. She could feel blood on her hand. She was bleeding.

_It hurts! It hurts!_ Tomoko’s eyes were watery as she squeezed them shut.

“Tomoko! Use Sachiyo’s scythe! You can cut the chains with it!” Hyubey’s voice echoed over the pain. “Hurry! Tomoko, now! Before Sachiyo—”

_Before Sachiyo—_

Images of a car crash flashed through Tomoko’s head. The crushed vehicle, the broken windshield, the blood on the street. Body bags containing her brothers. The ambulance taking her father away, his legs broken irreparably. The house they returned to, now missing two people from it.

Her body was moving, staggering to her feet. The tears blurred her vision but Tomoko could make out the glint from the scythe on the ground. She grabbed it, fumbling until she found the handle. Hands slick with blood, she twisted and aimed for the chains binding her friend, the only human friend she had and never wanted to lose, especially _not after that, not the car crash,_ _anything **but the car crash—**_

“HIIIYAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!”

The scythe severed the chains like paper, sending Sachiyo crashing to the ground. A spurt of black exploded from the ceiling, where the true Familiar had been hiding from the start. Its arms now severed, the Familiar crumbled and disappeared, along with its wildly dancing mannequin. The world became less distorted, straightened out once more.

The station was quiet except for Tomoko’s gasping breaths. They were soon joined by choking coughs. Sachiyo was still breathing. The redhead’s costume dissolved, along with the scythe in Tomoko’s hands. Tomoko fell to her knees, sobbing.

_I did it, I did it. I saved Sachiyo. I saved my friend. I can help someone after all. I’m not useless. I can do this. I can, I can, I can…_

A hand was wiping tears from her face. Tomoko flinched before looking up to see Hyubey. The black-haired boy looked at her before turning to Sachiyo’s prone form.

“We should probably head home now. It’s late,” he noted.

The sky had turned a deep indigo, stars beginning to sparkle in its dark depths. Tomoko couldn’t recall how late it was when they had initially left Sachiyo’s house. It hadn’t seemed that long, really. Maybe the Familiar had messed with her sense of time or something. Yeah, that was it…

“Sachiyo’s in no condition to be on her own, Tomoko,” Hyubey noted, hauling the unconscious redhead onto his back. “Perhaps it is best if we return to your home, as planned.”

“Yeah,” Tomoko nodded, shakily getting to her feet.

“What will you tell your parents?” Hyubey asked curiously.

“…I’ll think of something,” Tomoko muttered.

The raven-haired girl gathered Sachiyo’s bags and led the way out of the station. Hyubey followed her, careful to keep his stride smooth so as not to jostle Sachiyo. A million and one ideas for excuses tore through Tomoko’s mind.

_Just what am I going to tell them?_

.o.o.o.o.

“Mmm… Huh?”

Sachiyo blinked tiredly, blurry vision clearing to show a ceiling that didn’t have water stains or cracks on it. When she turned her head, the walls were a soft powder blue and lilac color, painted rather than papered. It was clear that this was not her room.

“Where am I?” she muttered, slowly sitting up.

Her throat burned. Speaking hurt. It felt like the time her father had strangled her in a drunken rage two years back.

“You are at Tomoko’s house.”

Hyubey hopped onto the bedside table, tail flicking. Sachiyo watched him in confusion.

“Need I elaborate?” the feline questioned. After a moment, he continued. “You were almost choked to death by the Familiar in the old tram station. Tomoko got you out but you fell unconscious, so we brought you here to her house. It has been cleared by her parents and they are cleaning out a room for you.”

“Why?” Sachiyo choked out. “I don’t need help.”

“Sachiyo, may I be frank?” Hyubey asked. “You almost died yesterday. Had Tomoko not been with you, the Witch behind that locked door would’ve likely eaten you and gotten stronger. Your recklessness nearly killed you. Tomoko only wishes to help. You are her friend, yes? Friends help each other, if I understand the concept correctly.”

Sachiyo frowned but said nothing. She sat up carefully, massaging her throat. She probably had bruises unless her Soul Gem already healed the damage.

She almost didn’t want the bruises to be gone yet.


End file.
